IWD2025: There’s More To Be Done To Ensure Parity For Women – Helen Obareki

MONDAY March 10, 2025 |TheNewsDESK

The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Helen Obareki, has acknowledged the “significant progress” made towards equality for women while admitting that more needs to be done to eradicate gender disparity in society.

Mrs Obareki is the daughter of the state governor, Umo Eno, who was appointed to manage the office of the First Lady following the passing of the Governor’s wife.

According to a statement on Saturday from the Media Unit, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Obareki stated this during the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration in Uyo.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Accelerate Action”.

Mrs Obareki regretted that girls were still being denied access to education while women were not allowed to serve in leadership positions in some parts of Nigeria.

She said women in Akwa Ibom have fared well under Governor Umo Eno’s administration, but more work was still needed to ensure women are given equal rights and opportunities in society.

“In various parts of the world, Nigeria inclusive, there are setbacks. Girls are still denied access to good education, and women are underrepresented in leadership roles. This casts a shadow on our celebration and reminds us of the need to recommit ourselves to accelerating action by ensuring that every woman, regardless of background, where she lives or worships, has the opportunity to thrive,” she said.

The coordinator said the various empowerment programmes of the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) aim to give women a voice in society.

“As an organisation, the Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, has worked extensively on giving women the needed voice in our society. Through our various empowerment programmes and advocacy against Gender-Based Violence, we have provided vulnerable women with lifelines to mitigate the challenges they encounter.

“Under my watch, GIFA remains committed to rolling out life-saving opportunities to vulnerable women in our state. By God’s special grace, in the coming days and weeks, we will use our various channels to accelerate action in a bid to scale up the dignity of women in multiple domains.”